Nautica Ocean2Ocean: Dr. Wallace J Nichols

Posted on Jan 9th, 2012

Dr. Wallace "J" Nichols lives amidst the redwood trees on the central coast of California with his wife, Dana, and their daughters Grayce and Julia. He wears many hats in the world of Ocean conservation, including Research Associate for the California Academy of Sciences, Conservation Science Advisor for ProPeninsula, researcher on a global bycatch study with Duke University and Blue Ocean Institute and has served as an advisor or board member of Save Our Shores, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Biosphere Foundation,Animal Alliance, Coastwalk, Drylands Institute, Oceana, and Reef Protection International. For two years "J" served as Senior Research Scientist at the Ocean Conservancy. His work saving turtles is known internationally, and he has even written a children's book, Chelonia, Return of the Sea Turtle.

In 2011, Nautica helped to sponsor "J" Nichols' first annual Blue Mind Summit in San Francisco, where he brought together scientists, artists, conservationists, people from all walks of life, to start a conversation about why we love our Oceans in order to harness the results into positive action.

His Blue Marbles Project is literally putting an awareness for our World waters in the palms of millions of hands. His Slow Coast project is creating a quiet stretch of California coast into a place where "we can look the farmer, fisher or rancher in the eye and talk about the food we share." We have spent many days talking with "J" and getting to know his family and his very gentle, personal and human way of looking at Ocean conservation.

And now Nautica has created an Ocean To Ocean story to highlight J's ideas, his family, and his passion for the water. Starting this month, we are excited to begin featuring him as a Nautica guest blogger and correspondent. J signs every email "Live like you love the Ocean," and after you see his story, you will feel inspired to take up his call to action.